Tipping baggage guys at the airport??

I was reading a review of CSA and several people stated that the baggage guys demanded tips from them. This will be my fourth trip to couples (leaving in two weeks!!!). Ive never had anyone demand a tip from me. I always tip the guy who takes my bag to the bus a few bucks, then I tip the driver 10 bucks when I get off the shuttle at the resort. I have no problems tipping. I would have a problem with someone blocking my entry to the bus and demanding a tip from me. A polite,"excuse me, i dont work for couples and I make all my earnings off tips" would work for me because some people might not realize this. I have seen the driver ask for money from couples who didnt tip once we arrived at the resort, but not in a rude way. I have also seen the guide for Dunn's river falls shake some people down as well. I understand they need to earn a living, but the bottom line is you tip people for good service. A tip is optional. Your not getting a tip for putting a tag on my bag at the lounge in the airport unless your the one loading it onto the shuttle. Like I said its a tip, its not a fee. I always tip, but if I dont want to tip then I wont. If you stand in front of me and demand a tip I will not tip you. Please tell me this is an isolated incident.

I've never had anyone try & block my way on the bus, this must be something new. I'll be going to CSA again at the end of May, we'll see what happens,lol..I agree with you, I tip for good service,& I don't respond well to demands. I carry my own bags & tip the actual guy who loads them & the driver, thats it. No problem with someone trying to make a living, just don't get pushy about it.

The only baggage handlers we refuse to let touch our bags and we refuse to tip are on the RETURN trip back to the airport. We always tip the driver both ways and the baggage handlers that take our bags out to the bus to go TO Couples. But those guys at the airport when we RETURN are the ones we've mentioned on here before. They literally grab your bag from the bus and drop it on the ground and then demand money. We have always politely said no thanks and got our own bag and walked the very few steps into the airport to go home.

We have gotten used to the Dunns River aggressiveness and tip the guides $5 each (two guides). And of course we tip the driver when we return to Couples as we depart the bus.

Again, the only ones we don't allow to do anything for us and do not tip, are the handlers on the return trip back to Couples that are at the airport and are not anything to do with Couples.

I've heard someone on this board mention that a tip was demanded by the baggage guys at the airport. I, too, find this unacceptable. In our four trips to Couples, we have usually been greeted by a baggage guy who politely explains that tips are appreciated, which is fine - especially for those who really don't know what's expected.

Someone who complained of this happening said they would carry their own bags from now on, which is an option. They do tend to sweep your bags up and carry them for you before you can snatch them yourself, though.

I'm not sure why this is coming up more lately, but we hope it doesn't ever happen to us because while we are generous tippers, we don't do it on demand.

It is not an isolated incident. I have seen the baggage handlers get on the bus and go up to people who did not give them a tip. Also a few times the bus driver does not open the door until the luggage is all loaded. I would assume this is so the handlers can get their tips.

Our experience the last two times to JA has been that there is a "chief redcap who kinda leads the parade and collects tips for the group of porters he leads to the bus. He's a bit firm, but no worries from me, cuz I've already got my $2/bag ready to go before we get there... I see the bags get on the bus, he gets the tip. How they divvy it up is up to them.

So if I act as if I am from a country that is not accustom to tipping, will the handlers, driver and/or guides just leave me alone? I am a tipper. I tip everyone. Heck I tipped my wife when she brought me a nice peanut butter and jelly sandwich...but I do not tip if it is asked for!

It is not an isolated incident. I have seen the baggage handlers get on the bus and go up to people who did not give them a tip. Also a few times the bus driver does not open the door until the luggage is all loaded. I would assume this is so the handlers can get their tips.

We haven't had that happen, but we have stood outside the bus to wait and see our bags loaded. We also let the guy take our bags into the airport as he gets us where we need to be in the right line.

Demand for "tip" money...

LOL...That's EXACTLY the point...having never seen it on past trips, it was quite a surprise to be in Jamaica and have a person stand between the door and the bus and demand money. And, how would anyone know in advance that this was going to occur right before you board the bus as you begin your wonderful vacation??? Not wanting to cause a scene, we paid-up, but guess what, THAT won't be happening again...

When we got to the couples lounge they had a large pile of luggage tagged by resort to the side. The guy asked us what resort and then tagged our checked bag. I didn't tip this guy. Never felt obligated to do so. We carried our carry on bags with us though because of valuables in them and sat down inside the lounge. The guy came and grabbed them and put a tag on them too. He said they needed to know how much luggage to load for each bus. Understandable. Still didn't get a tip.

Then someone announces that the bus for CSA is leaving. So we follow our bags out the door to the bus. At this time one of the guys says they do not work for Couples and usually get a few $ per bag. No problem. He tells us to wait till we see our bags loaded before we get on the bus. As we get on he kinda puts his hand out blocking you until you tip him. We tipped and got on. I assume he was collecting go everyone because he did no actual work himself.

When we arrived at the resort, they told the women to go check in and the men to wait for the luggage. When they dropped it off on the curb they asked for another tip. No problem. To me that is standard practice but it is odd for then to demand it.

Same thing again when loading the bus to leave but when you get back to the airport it's hard to even tell who is actually working and who may just be looking for a tip. So we grabbed our bag right off the bus and went on our way. It was a crazy scene and people were pushing each other to try and earn a tip. Im sure it has nothing to do with Couples and they are there to unload every bus that shows up.

@Chris-no reason for both of us to stand there watching the bags. It just creates a traffic jam. Let me on the bus and hubby watches the bags get loaded.

@Vicky-when we leave Jamaica we always let a baggage handler take our bags and us to the correct line especially when the airport is packed with people. It's hard to tell where one line ends and another begins.

I assume (possibly wrong) that the guys collecting the luggage are employees of the transport company. I only tip the person who brings our luggage to the van, and helps to load it. The driver I tip as we get off the bus. The men at the resort are all Couples employees, and therefore are not suppose to be tipped. I have never been pressured for a tip coming to the resort. However, as others have experienced, we have experienced some very pushy porters at the airport on the return trip. We also prefer to take our own luggage from the bus, and pull it into the airport.

When we arrived at the resort, they told the women to go check in and the men to wait for the luggage. When they dropped it off on the curb they asked for another tip. No problem. To me that is standard practice but it is odd for then to demand it.

Same thing again when loading the bus to leave but when you get back to the airport it's hard to even tell who is actually working and who may just be looking for a tip. So we grabbed our bag right off the bus and went on our way. It was a crazy scene and people were pushing each other to try and earn a tip. Im sure it has nothing to do with Couples and they are there to unload every bus that shows up.

I also posted about this on my recent review. Having never been to Jamaica before I just went with the flow. They did the same thing, asked us which resort, tagged our bags and sent us for a drink. Then a guy (they seem to all wear red hats) came and pilled all our bags on a cart and we had to follow him. Once at the van we were told to tip a buck a bag. I mentioned on my review that Couples needs to look into this as it seems from a visitor's view that they represent couples and in fact they don't. You wouldn't know that though and it's not a very good first impression, that's for sure, it was weird and awkward and all the people felt that way. This is a good thread, now people who read it will know what to expect and can roll their own bags if they want to or let the guys in the red hat take them for you and tip them the buck a bag.
Also yes you tip the driver to and from the resort, we tipped five bucks as he really tried to make the ride enjoyable and informative.

I know a couple of posters mentioned it but I would like to repeat something here again.
Make sure you see your bags loaded and are on your van before boarding. My wife usually gets on the van while I stay with the porter and give him a couple dollars for each of our bags once I see them on board. It's not that the porters are going to lose our bags but it gets pretty chaotic in the parking lot so it always better to keep an eye on your bags.
Also, if your van is going to make a stop at another resort along the way, make sure they don't take off your bag by mistake. Last year we stopped to drop off some folks at CN on our way to CSA and they took off my wifes bag and rolled it to the side with the other bags. Fortunately I spotted it (she has a bright pink ribbon on it) when I was returning to the van from checking out the beautiful view of the pool at CN from the lobby.
I could only imagine what she would have been like when we arrived at CSA and her bag wasn't there. We would have gotten it back with no problem but she would have been freaking out until then.

We have been to Jamaica 7 times and have had a problem with this 7 times. We never mind tipping, but sometimes it is faster to take your own bags, from the bus to the airport, than wait for everyone else. especially when you need to catch your flight, and you do know where you are going. We have encountered very pushy porters, demanding tips.Very uncomfortable.
I think we have always had amazing drivers though, which we tip well.

My two cents...
How much have we all paid for a week or two in the paradise they call home? How many of us buy new clothes etc to look great for our spouse? How much do spend on things to take back home?

We tip them all, probably too much, but I am blessed to be there and be in a position where I do not have to live on tips made carrying bags. I have never been blocked from the bus. On the return trip, I actually love having their help. They get us to the right line, place our bags in a group at the front, and our last trip in January, the guy even made sure one lady was able to get checked in properly on the computer. Tip versus no tip will make a much bigger difference in their life then that amount of money will in most of ours.

I waited tables to get through college, and sometimes if you have been stiffed too many times, you might alter the way you approach things. It's possible a porter that would block you might have been stiffed too many times. He has bills to pay, family to take care of, he needs to collect or be overlooked.